Australia is a land of contrasts. It is one of the most scarcely populated countries in the world, with an average density of only 2 people per square kilometre, but, strange to say, it is also one of the most urbanized. In fact most Australians live in the cities and towns situated on the eastern coastal plains. In the last fifty years Australia has more than doubled its population largely due to immigration. At present there are 17 million people living in Australia.

Only 250,000 of them, a mere 2% of the total population, descend from the original inhabitants of Australia. These Aboriginal people [E1] [F1] [I1] [Es1] have lived in the country for at least 40,000 years or, as they say, "before time began". This people did not have a name to be identified with because they had never met foreigners before Europeans. The word aborigine comes from Latin (ab originis, which means from origin) and has been used in the English language since the seventeenth century to indicate foreigners. It became the name used to call these Australian inhabitants. Few of them live in a tribal lifestyle today; most live in towns and cities. Up to now they have been treated like second-class citizens. In 1990 the government set up a commission to improve their standard of living and to preserve their culture by the year 2001.

The great majority of Australians are the descendants of the numerous waves of immigration [E1] [E2] [F1] [F2] [F3] [I1] [I2] [Es1] over the last two centuries. Until the Second World War immigrants came mainly from the British Isles, but in more recent years they have come from Europe and Asia. Today two out of every five Australians were born overseas or have at least one overseas-born parent.

Britain has always had a strong influence on Australia and, to some extent, has determined the people's way of living, thinking and behaving. Australians drive on the left, drink tea and love cricket and rugby. But gradually, since the Second World War, America has taken Britain's place. This, together with the great variety of languages and cultures brought by the numerous immigrants, has made Australia less British and more cosmopolitan.
Australians are now trying to create a common culture which can take into account the different backgrounds of all inhabitants. At the same time they are discovering a new independent role "down under".

Australia is always seeking migrants because there are many job opportunities. To become an Australian citizen you need, first of all, a passport and a visa [Es1] to enter the country. There are then some general rules to follow if you ask for citizenship:

It is important to know that there are different kinds of visa [E1] [Es1] [F1] [F2] [I1]: for students, for business and for skilled migrants (which means that you are a skilled worker). They are temporary but can be converted in permanent ones.